"Count on
me, Singapore. Count on me to place my bet and more." That was Selena
Tan and Hossan Leong's own rendition of the popular National Day song,
in light of the government's decision to build "Integrated Resorts"
(aka casinos) in Singapore. Their cheeky rendition of this song was
just one of the many delightful segments of the musical stand-up comedy
show, It Takes Two, which was shown at Victoria Theatre.
There were three parts to It Takes Two and the transitions
from one part to another were smooth and easy to follow. In the first
part, both Tan and Leong, dressed in matching glittery outfits, were
onstage together. The second part saw solo performances by the two actors,
and finally the duo was reunited on stage to deliver a fine ending.
The set was simple - a couch in the middle of the stage and a piano
on the left side. This gave the set a homely feel, creating the perfect
atmosphere for the duo's brand of light-hearted humour as they examined
numerous issues, ranging from the casino debate to the gender divide,
to the Singaporean lifestyle, Singapore Idol and many of their own life
experiences.
As soon as the comedy began, one understood why Tan and Leong made
a fantastic pair. Both played different but complementary roles throughout
the performance. For the most part, Tan would wittily describe various
scenarios while Leong, whose flexibility and physical skill allowed
him to do almost anything, would act out what she was saying, sending
the audience into fits of laughter. They also got a lot of mileage out
of teasing each other: there were exchanges of fat and short jokes,
and also some hilarious role playing as the duo stepped into the shoes
of famous duos from entertainment history, such as Donny and Marie Osmond
and Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy (no prizes for guessing who played
which part).
The pair also provided their take on men and women other than themselves,
once again reinforcing the saying that men are from Mars and women are
from Venus. One may expect that by now, stereotypical jokes about men
and women would be greeted with jaded silence, but the pair pulled it
off as they delivered them in a way that was refreshing and hard to
resist.
Tan, revealing a woman's perspective on men and sex, had the women
in the audience nodding their heads in agreement as she complained of
men's inability to multitask, hence resulting in women's dissatisfaction
in bed because the two erogenous zones located at the extreme ends of
the female body never receive the same attention. Her wild hand gestures
to illustrate this had some members of the audience laughing uncontrollably.
She also helpfully provided a set of criteria for couples intending
to get married. Her amusing appeal to all potential wives to visualise,
"audiolise" and "smellilise" a scene where husband
and wife are in the toilet together achieved the desired effect thanks
to some great comic timing.
Naturally, when Leong's turn came for a solo act, he voiced his lack
of understanding of the opposite sex, and elicited murmurs of agreement
when he asked why women always had to go to the toilet in huge groups.
Capturing and sustaining the audience's attention is especially important
in a comedy show and both Tan and Leong did a great job of it. For instance,
when a few people came in late, Tan took the opportunity to tease them
as they strolled into the theatre, playfully telling them that they
had missed the best part of the show. And song and dance also helped
keep the interest levels high: Leong's talent as a pianist coupled with
Tan's clear and melodious voice both enchanted and impressed the audience.
The show was distinctively Singaporean in style. Different dialects
were spoken and habits and mannerisms familiar only to locals were also
exposed. Though this may have appealed to the majority, there were some
non-Singaporeans in the audience who probably had no clue what was going
on during certain parts of the show. Nonetheless, It Takes Two
was a huge success. The two performers had great chemistry on stage
and their roles complemented each other, ensuring that every punchline
was delivered on target. They managed to turn a lazy Thursday evening
into one full of fun and laughter.
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"The two performers had great chemistry on stage and their roles
complemented each other, ensuring that every punchline was delivered
on target. They managed to turn a lazy Thursday evening into one full
of fun and laughter"
Credits
Creator/Playwright: Selena Tan
Producer: Seow Sher Yen
Actor: Selena Tan
Actor/Pianist: Hossan Leong
Stage Manager: Jean Chua
Sound Engineer: Shah Tahir
Lighting Designer: Yo Shao Ann
Lighting Op.: Jeremy Tang
Asst. Stage Manger: Eunice Lim
Dressers: Emily Lim and Nurraidah Bte Noor
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